‘Women can have any job’

Pharmacist, journalist and president of a social organization in Zarqa: Dr. Najwa is it all.‘I am proud of the work I do,’ she says.‘We all manage our own time. It’s easy.’

Dr. Najwa’s days are filled from morning until evening. ‘I am always going from the pharmacy to the organization, back and forth from meetings and presentations.Any free time I have, is spent working.’In between meetings or in traffic, she writes. ‘Sometimes I edit my work at night or early in the morning.’

DrNajwa has an bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and hopes to complete a master’s degree in the future. ‘I have so many hopes and ambitions and I thank my parents and siblings for my strength and perseverance,’ she says.

‘I am a working woman who goes out at night.’

‘I live in a conservative neighborhood,’ she says. ‘In the past, I have faced issues with men who did not want the organization to succeed because it changes the way people think. But even with the obstacles, things are changing for the better little by little.’

‘None of the women in my neighborhood used to go out at night,’ DrNajwa explains. ‘I am a working woman who goes out at night. They know me, they know my work at the pharmacy and they know it’s not a problem. I think this is a beautiful change.’

‘Women don’t have to just stay home to clean and cook. Women can have any job. There is no reason to be afraid. Everyone creates themselves,’ she says.

‘My dreams have only gotten bigger.’

Dr. Najwa got the idea to establish a social organization in college. ‘I loved helping people in my community: orphans, the homeless,… I want to bring happiness to the people,’ she says.

‘I didn’t expect the organization would be so successful, but now people come in every day and are interested in the work and engaged. I hopethat the organization can grow into a center for everyone.’

‘The children who come to the organization want to be like me,’ she says with a smile. ‘When I was a little girl, I already had very specific dreams. Over the years, they have only gotten bigger. I want people to see that girls are strong and that they have goals and dreams and I want to help them achieve their ambitions. I believe in my organization and believe it will change things for the better.’

Through the Lana Project, Dr. Najwa has been able to build her capacity and the capacity of her organization. The trainings on gender have been of particular importance so that she can better sensitize her community to accept working women such as herself. Her project works to empower men and women to speak about the issues that concern them in their communities through trainings.